Gold Coast United Owner Clive Palmer Defends Crowd Cap

Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer has launched a stinging defence of the decision to impose a cap on crowds, claiming the club are on par with A-League crowd figures this season.

“Gold Coast United is a new club that has come to understand the marketplace in which we operate and since our birth we have seen what is working, and what is not working," the statement began.

“We are not sitting in denial waiting for a miracle to happen – Gold Coast United is taking the battle head-on to ensure the long term viability of the club.  

“Enough is enough when it comes to pointing fingers at Gold Coast United for it perceived lack of community involvement and poor crowd figures. It is important, if we are to move forward as a club, that people deal with reality, not perception.

“Gold Coast United is not in crisis, it is dealing with a reality of a saturated marketplace, State Government stadium charges and poor crowds across the A-League.”

Hyundai A-League Crowds

“When we started, all stakeholders had an expectation that crowd numbers would be significantly higher than they have been. That was the basis for the start up structure of the club, which we now know is not viable.

“The club has been able to build a solid supporter base averaging 5,651 people per game. We appreciate this support, which provides the platform for building the club into the future. The reality is that Gold Coast United, for its population size, is on par with expected crowd figures for the A-League this season – figures don’t lie.

“The Gold Coast is one of the biggest growth areas in the country and with the increase in popularity of football this will provide a double growth opportunity for the Club and its supporter groups.

"Then add the FIFA World Cup Finals in 2010 – the future is bright for football in this country and for the Gold Coast. It is now time to ensure the club has the structure to make the most of the future opportunities.

“People need to realise that is where the game is at. Once people accept that 5,000 is not an unrealistic crowd figure for an A-League team on the Gold Coast, the easier it will be to move forward on strategies to increase the crowd figures.

"The club is looking in the mirror and does accept a big part of the responsibility, but we cannot move forward on our own.

"It requires support from all key stakeholders including FFA, Skilled Park, the State Government, Local Government, and of course, the supporters.

“There have been recent public attacks on the club, an example of which is below.”

‘Capping ticket sales is not in the best interests of the club, the Hyundai A-League, football or the people of the Gold Coast.’

“Let’s be honest here, what is not in the best interests of the club, the A-League, football or the people of the Gold Coast, is a club that is operating within a structure that is not viable.

"If you knew the crowd was going to be below 5000, would you pay additional tens of thousands of dollars to hire the stadium so 27000 could attend?    

“There is a fundamental issue across the A-League with crowd numbers and because Gold Coast United is doing something proactive about it we should not be the scapegoat. Public attacks on Gold Coast United are not solving the problem.

“The club has been working with Skilled Park enable changes to the cost structure. The club will continue this engagement until a sensible outcome can be reached that will provide a stadium cost structure that reflects the growing nature of the club.”

Community Engagement

“The club is here because of the support it receives from the community. While Gold Coast United has recently ramped up its school programmes, the grass roots approach by the club has been underestimated.

"Gold Coast United played more games against local football teams in the pre-season than any other club; there are more junior teams involved in every match day than any other club.

“There were extensive training sessions with junior clubs during pre-season, school visits, charity events and the list goes on. This is not the fundamental problem. It is however, an area that the club has acknowledged can be improved and strategies are being implemented to address this.”

To Our Fans

“The Club regrets the short-term impact this decision is having on some fans. But, it is being done for the right reasons, for the better of the club’s future and a structure that will, in the long term, attract bigger crowds. I hope Gold Coast United fans support the club through this process to ensure a better outcome in the future.

“In the meantime, public transport fees to and from Skilled Park are included in the price of your ticket (i.e. there will be no bus or train fare as long as you produce your match ticket or membership card.

“Also, to ensure members and fans are able to get home from the stadium in a timely fashion, there will be some additional bus and train services in operation from full time.

“The club has put together one of the best teams in the A-League with international stars including Jason Culina, Shane Smeltz and Joel Porter. In the club’s first year we will be there in the Finals and give the title a shake. The players need your support to bring success home.

“I have been in business long enough to understand that simply throwing endless amounts of money at something does not build a successful venture.

"It is quite the opposite; endless money builds complacency and does not encourage a challenging environment that drives success.

"It is time to be realistic and deal with the cause of the problems instead of a short-term, band-aid approach that does not build long-term viability.

“The club has a solid foundation with a great team and a core supporter base. I am proud of both the team and the club, and look forward to a successful future. The club will be moving forward to provide a new structure that ensures a strong future.

“But the club needs support of, the media, FFA, State Government, Local Government, and most importantly, the fans.”

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